Winona Lake Town Manager, left, listens to Winona Lake Plan Commission Member Bill Zimmer, center, and Winona Lake Town Engineer Aaron Carl, right, discuss a request by Winona Lake Grace Church. InkFreeNews photo by Patrick Webb.

By Patrick Webb
InkFreeNews

WINONA LAKE — The Winona Lake Plan Commission heard a request to allow a pipe under a proposed building extension.

At the Winona Lake Plan Commission’s Thursday, May 16 meeting, the commission heard from Veridus Group, Inc.’s Director of Civil Engineering Jennifer Lasch on behalf of Winona Lake Grace Church, 1200 King’s Highway.

Lasch explained the project involves connecting two buildings and that they were looking at options to relocate a drain pipe.

Lasch said they wished to clarify if a pipe connected to a storm drain in the parking lot could go under the to be built building extension, or if they needed to reroute around.

Lasch also reported the proposed pipe design would be designed to prepare for 100 year storms, to avoid flooding the building and for access or additional lining. Lasch said the pipe design would allow water to flow back into the parking lot in case of flooding.

Winona Lake Town Manager Craig Allebach said he didn’t see any problems with the proposed design.

“My thought process would be as a back up plan, is to go ahead and run a line across the road anyway,” said Winona Lake Town Engineer Aaron Carl. “So if something does get obstructed, it has a secondary path to get out of there (and) it’s not flooding the building.”

The Commission approved the request, with the provision of having a memorandum of understanding with Winona Lake and Winona Lake Grace Church that responsibility for any flooding would be on the church. The commission also recommended Winona Lake Grace Church consolidate their two lots the buildings are on into one with the Kosciusko County Auditor’s office.